Draft rigging



Oct. 22, 1935. H, J. LOUNSBURY DRAFT RIGGING Filed DGO. 5, 1952 ,0J 0J .r ,WW ,w ns s ww M Z J.. f U/ m y a A, a A/JN Uf 5 E Fig 5 22 Z0 Patented Oct. 22, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRAFT RIGGING Delaware Application December 5, 1932, Serial No. 645,733

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in draft riggings especially designed for mine cars.

One object of the invention is to provide a combined builing and draft gear for mine cars, which may be mounted entirely at the end of the car and which is so designed that the capacity in buff is greater than that in draft.

Another object of the invention is to provide a draft rigging for minelcars, whichA is of simple design, eliicient in operation, may be economically manufactured, and easily applied to the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a draft rigging of the character described in the preceding paragraph, wherein both the bufng and draft forces are transmitted through a coupler member and the resistance to movement of the coupler in buff is greater than the resistance in draft, thereby taking care of the relatively heavier bufng shocks.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a coupler for mine cars so arranged that it cooperates with the draft rigging of the car in both buff and draft and mounted in such a manner that it may be readily adjusted to properly register and engage with the coupler of an adjacent car.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims hereinafter following.

In the drawing, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a part top plan view and a part horizontal sectional view of one end of a mine car, illustrating my improvements in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a front end elevational view of the structure illustrated in Figure l. And Figure 3 is a vertical sectional View, corresponding substantially to the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

In said drawing, I0 designates the vertical end wall of a mine car and II the floor of said car. As shown in Figure 2, the middle section of the oor of the car is depressed, the bottom of said depressed portion being formed by a longitudinally extending plate I2 and the side walls being formed by beams I3-I3, which are in effect sill members extending lengthwise of the car. The beams I3-I3 have top and bottom iianges I4' and I5, the top liange of each beam being xed to the bottom of the car, and the bottom flange supporting the floor plate I2.

My improved mine car draft rigging comprises broadly a supporting casting A; a movable casing B; a yoke C; a follower plate D; a coupler E; two springs F--F; and two springs GG.

The casting A has a platelike front wall I6,

which extends upwardly beyond the bottom end edge of the wall l0 of the car and is secured to said wall I0 by any suitable means, such as rivets shown in Figures 2 and 3. The casting A is provided with a central pocket I1, which has 5 a vertical rear end wall I8 offset inwardly with respect to the platelike Wall I6. The pocket I1 accommodates the yoke C, and the wall I8 forms a rear stop for the yoke. At the forward side, the platelike wall I6 is provided with spaced top 10 and bottom flanges I9 and 20 and vertically extending webs 2 I-2I connecting the top and bottom. lianges. The flanges I 9 and 20 and the webs 2I-2I define a housing-like structure adapted to accommodate the inner end of the 15 casing B for sliding movement. The iiange 20 at Jthe bottom of the casting A is oliset below the bottom wall ofv the pocket I1. The top and bottom iianges I9 and 20 are provided with aligned openings 22-22 adapted to accommo- 20 date stop pins 23-23 which cooperate with the casing B to limit outward movement thereof.

The casing B has a vertical frontend wall 24, spaced vertical side walls 25-25 extending rearwardly from said wall 24, and horizontally dis- 25 posed top and bottom walls 2B-26. Centrally of the casing B the front wall 24 is provided with an opening 21 which accommodates a portion Of the yoke C, as hereinafter pointed out. The opening 21 has side walls 28-28 which extend 30 rearwardly from the wall 24 and connect with the top and bottom walls 26-26 of the casing B. The vertical rear edges of the walls 28-28 form front stops for the follower plate D, as hereinafter pointed out. At opposite sides of the casing 35 B the topand bottom walls 26-26 are slotted, as indicated at 2.9--29, to accommodate the stop pins 23-23. As will be evident, the casing B is thus connected to the supporting casting A for limited movement toward and away from the 40 end of the car, the stop pins 23-23 positively limiting outward movement of the casing B, thereby holding this casing stationary during a draft action of the rigging.

The yoke C has horizontally disposed top and 45 bottom arms 30-30 connected by a vertical rear end section 3| and a vertical front end section 32. The section 32 is provided with a journal opening 33 for receiving a connecting member of the coupler E. The yoke C is disposed within 50A the casing B in alignment with the opening 21 of the front wall 24 of said casing. As most clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3, the rear end ol.' the yoke C is slidingly guided in the pocket I1 while the front end thereof is guided between 55 YVals the'coupler shown in dotted lines in Figure 3 is openings 36--36. Y Figure 3, the lingers 34 and 35 are horizontally the vertical side walls 28-23 of the opening 21 of the casing B.

The follower plate D is of substantially rectangular outline and is disposed Within the forward end of the yoke C, asmost clearly shown in Figures 1 and 3.V The follower plate D is of such a width that the opposite ends project V.beyond-the sides of the yoke C and Vnormally engagethe inner end edges of the side` walls 28-28 of the opening 21 of the casing B, thereby limiting forward movement of the follower platerD. The follower plate D cooperateswwith the springs F-F, 'which aredisposed within the yoke and have their rear ends bearing directly on the vertical rear end section'3I of said yoke.

VThe springs G G are arranged at opposite sides of the mechanism and are disposed within` the casing B, having their forward ends bearing Von theinner side of the front wall 24 of said casing and having their rear ends bearing on the vertical wall I6 of the supporting casting A.

VAs shown, the walls2'4 and YI6 are preferably provided vwith projecting bosses Which engage within the coils of the springs G--G so as to hold the same properly centered.

The coupler E has a pair of` forwardly pro- Y-jecting ngerlike members 34 and 35 provided with vertically aligned .coupler pin receiving As mostclearly illustrated in disposed and spaced apart vertically such a distance as to receive the projecting finger 34 of a similar coupler therebetween. A cooperating coupler of this Vtype is illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 3. The fingers 34V and 35 of the coupler E are spaced unequal distances from the top andbottom sides of said coupler, the upper nger 34 being spaced-such a distance from the Vtop. of the coupler as to accommodate the flnger 35 above said finger 34. As will be understood,

reversed with respect tothe coupler E, which Vis shown in-full lines, so that'the parts of these two couplers. will properly register. The cars when coupled together are connected by a coupler pin .31, which is engaged `through the openings'36--36 and 36-36of the fingers 34 and 35 `ofthe two couplers. InV order `to provide for adjustment about the longitudinal axis of the couplerso asY to bring the same to a position to Y properly register'with the coupler ,of the adjacent car, the coupler E, as shown in Figure 3, is provided with a rearwardly extending, cylindrical, boltlike connecting portion 38, whichk is Journaled within the opening 33 at the forward end oi the yoke C. The inner end of the extension 38 is preferably threaded and receives a nut 39. which serves to anchor the couplerl to the yoke C. The mainrbody portion of the coupler E is in the form of a vertically disposed plateliker mem- Vber 4,0, which is of suchV a size as to extendbeyond the edges of the vopening 21 of the front wall of the casing B, as clearly shown in Figures f1 and 3, therebycproviding shouldered engage- Voi? the pocket I1.

porting casting A and connected thereto by the pins 23-23. Before application of the casing B to the supporting casting A, the yoke C, follower plate D, springs E-E and F-F, and the Y coupler E are assembled with said casing in the 5 following manner: The yoke is entered throughV the rear of the casing Bwith the front end section thereof extending intoV the opening 21 of the front wall of said casing. The coupler E is then attached to the front end section of the 10 f yoke C, and the follower plate D placed within the, yoke.

Next, the'springs F-F are inserted between the follower plate D and the rear end section I8 of the yoke. The springs G-G are placed Vwithin the casing B at any time before l5 the application of `said casing to the casting A. Y In the operation oi' my improved draft rigging, inward movement of the coupler E in buil Y causes inward movement of the casing B, thereby compressing the springs GG against the 1.0 Vertical wall of the supporting casting A. At the same time, the follower plate D is Vcarried inwardly by the casing B, thereby compressing the` springs F-F against the'vertical rear end section 3I Vof the yoke C, which at Vthis time is held 25 stationary by engagement with the stop wall I8 Inward 'movement' of the casing B will be limitedV by engagement with the supporting casting A. When the bufiing force is reduced, the expansive action of the springs 30. F--F and G-V-G returns the parts to normal position, outward movement of the casing B being limited by the stop pins 23-23. Y

When a pulling or draft action is applied to Y the coupler E, the yoke will be moved outwardly 35 therewith, thereby compressing the springs'F-F against the follower plate D, which at this time is held stationary by engagement with the inner ends of therwalls 28-28 of the casing B. As will be understood, the casing at this time is heid 40 against outward movement by the stop pins I have herein shown and described whatV I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto. Y

Iclaim: ,j Y

1. In a draft rigging for mine cars, the combination with a supporting member fixed to the end of Ythe car; of a casing slidingly carried on said supporting member, said casing having aV front wall provided with a central opening; spring 551 means at opposite sides of said opening opposing: movement of said casing inwardly toward the endof the car; a coupler, said coupler overlapping the edges of said opening and engaging said front Wall of the casing to move the latter inco5 wardly of the end of the car; additional spring means opposing inward movement of the casing; and means connected to the coupler and extending through said opening for transmitting draft forces to said additional spring means.

2. In a draft rigging for mine cars, the combination with a supporting member fixed to the end of the car; of a casing slidingly carried' on said supporting member Vfor movement inwardly toward the end of the car,'said casing havinga 70` front wall provided with an opening therethrough; means for limiting outward movement Y of said casing; springs within thecasing at opposite sides of said opening buttressed against said supporting member and yieldingly opposing 15- inward movement of the casing; a coupler engaging said front wall of the casing at opposite sides of the opening for moving said casing inwardly upon inward movement of the coupler; additional spring means opposing inward movement of the casing; and a yoke movable in the opening of said front wall of the casing, said yoke being connected to the coupler and movable therewith in draft for compressing said additional spring means.

3. In a draft rigging for mine cars, the combination with a supporting member fixed to the end of the car; of a casing slidingly carried on said supporting member for movement inwardly toward the end of the car, said casing having a front wall provided with a central opening; means for limiting outward movement of said casing; springs within the casing at opposite sides of said opening and bearing on said front wall, said springs also bearing on said supporting member and yieldingly opposing inward movement of the casing; a coupler engaging the front Wall of said casing adjacent to said opening in the front wall for moving said casing inwardly upon inward movement of the coupler; additional spring means opposing inward movement of the casing; a yoke connected to the coupler, said yoke being in alignment with the opening of the front Wall of the casing and abutting said supporting member toprevent movement of the yoke in bui; a iront follower within the yoke having shouldered engagement with the casing adjacent to the opening of said front wall to prevent outward movement of the follower in draft and effect inward movement of the follower with the casing in buff; and a spring within the yoke bearing at opposite ends on the front follower and rear end of the yoke.

4. In a draft rigging for mine cars, the combination with a supporting casting fixed to the end of the car; of a follower casing slidingly carried on said casting for movement lengthwise of the car; stop means for limiting outward movement of the casing; springs seated on said casting and yieldingly opposing inward movement of the casing; a coupler, said coupler having shouldered engagement with the casing to transmit buiiing forces to the same; a yoke connected to the coupler, said yoke having a transverse rear end section normally bearing on said casting; a front follower plate within the yoke, said follower plate having shouldered engagement with the casing and being movable inwardly with said casing; and

a spring within the yoke and bearing at opposite ends on said follower plate and the transverse rear end section of the yoke.

5. In a draft rigging for mine cars, the combination with a supporting casting xed to the end 5 of the car, said casting having a vertically disposed abutment wall and a central pocket having a vertical wall rearwardly offset from said abutment wall; of a yoke extending into said pocket and having its inner end normally bearing on said l0 wall of the pocket; a coupler; a front follower plate within the yoke; a spring within the yoke engaging said front follower plate; a follower casing slidingly carried by said supporting casting, said follower casing having a vertical front 15 wall on which the inner end of the main body portion of the coupler normally bears, said coupler having a rearwardly projecting shank portion connected to the yoke and extending through the opening of the front wall of said casing; and springs at opposite sides of the casing yieldingly opposing movement of the latter, said springs bearing at opposite ends on said abutment wall of the casting and the front wall of the casing, said casing having inwardly projecting flanges bearing on the outer side of said front follower plate.

6. In a draft rigging for mine cars, the combination with a supporting member fixed to the end of the car; of a follower member movable toward and away from the supporting member, said follower member having a central opening therethrough; shock absorbing means at opposite sides of said opening yieldingly opposing movement of said follower member toward the supporting member; means for limiting outward movement of the follower member; a coupler, said coupler being provided with a shank having shouldered engagement with said follower member adjacent to said opening to move the latter inwardly in buff; a stem on the coupler shank extending into said opening; a yoke connected to said stern of the coupler shank, said yoke being normally held against inward movement by engagementv with said supporting member; a follower plate within the yoke, said follower plate bearing on the follower member adjacent to said opening and being movable with the follower member in buff and shock absorbing means within the yoke opposing relative movement of said yoke and follower plate.

HARVEY J. LOUNSBURY. 

